


The Best is Yet to Come

by kuroowl



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Friendship, M/M, Teamwork, because FRIENDSHIP!!, bromances makes my heart hurt, this is more friendship than romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-16
Updated: 2015-08-16
Packaged: 2018-04-15 02:55:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4590360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuroowl/pseuds/kuroowl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Kageyama ends up on the same team as Kindaichi and Kunimi in University and things get awkward. (Except Kageyama is the only one being awkward.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Best is Yet to Come

**Author's Note:**

> I've always been sad about the way things ended with Kageyama and Kitagawa and I just want everyone to be friends and happy and so this happened in like three hours :)

It wasn’t that Kageyama hadn’t thought of them –because he had, he _did_ – it was more like he hadn’t thought of them like this. Meaning: he knew he would see them again after junior high – the opposite side of the court, the occasional bump in a store – but not at tryouts for the _same_ team.

Kageyama had been excited for university. Hinata and he had been scouted for the same college and it had been no doubt for both of them that they would attend together. Where one went the other followed: that was their internal mantra. They would play together in university, become starters together, rule the court, _together_. Hinata always told Kageyama that they would probably even go to the Olympics together.

“Don’t think so highly of yourself dumbass!” Kageyama had snapped. “You should be able to serve over the net first.”

They had left Karasuno winning the Interhigh finals and losing the Spring High semi-finals, yet Kageyama had left school thinking: _I’m alright. I’m better._

And then he was staring at Kunimi and Kindaichi on the first day of tryouts. They were talking to each other, Kindaichi –somehow taller – laughed at something Kunimi had said. Hinata –of course– was in his own world, jumping around excitedly, staring wide eye at the large court (“This is like Nationals Kageyama!”) jittering around like a bird injected with coffee.

Kageyama blinked –they hadn’t even _noticed_ him– and turned back to Hinata; routinely slapping him on the back of his bobbing head and snapping,

“Calm down, dumbass.”

“But Kageyama!” Hinata whined. Kageyama sighed and Hinata grinned up at him –though it wasn’t much of a head tilt as it used to be, Hinata had gained a few centimeters of the years.  

“Alright!” The couch clapped loudly and the chattering died down. Kageyama glanced back at his former junior high teammates; Kindaichi was staring at him. Was that anger? Kageyama was too far away to tell.

( _And he was turning, turning to shout, turning to ask –why? why did you let that ball go? where_ were _you?)_

“The next three days will determine your worth to this team.” The coach said loudly. He was a tall man; a rough beard covering most of his face, sly eyes, a heavy brow. He had the arms of a spiker. “I want to first see how far your stamina goes. Run thirty laps!”

Kageyama couldn’t help but grin as they began to run –Hinata would be the first one finishing.

Five minutes later Kageyama wasn’t grinning anymore as Hinata whooped and hollered _again_ as he passed the starting point before anyone else. They were only five laps in and Hinata was still running strong, his arms flapping wildly as he sprinted ahead of even the third years. He was beautiful.

Four laps later Kageyama was gasping beside Kindaichi. He wanted to move ahead –he certainly couldn’t move _behind_ –but he couldn’t push himself to go faster. He suffered the uncomfortable silence, focusing more on Hinata’s laughing as he raced past the third years again, overlapping everyone by running his eleventh lap while everyone was still on nine.

“He’s still as strong as ever, huh?” Kageyama stumbled slightly at Kindaichi’s voice. So then… they were talking normally?

_(To me, you are still an oppressive king, and an irritating guy.)_

“Uh,” Kageyama muttered. He hoped his heavy breathing would cover up how nervous he was. “Yeah.”

They ran five more laps silently and Kageyama was sure he was going to collapse any moment.  

“Only sixteen laps left.” He mumbled sarcastically under his breath.

“I think I’m going to die.” Kindaichi moaned. Shit. Kageyama turned slightly to him. Had he heard him say that? “That shortie of yours is fucking insane.”

“What?” Kageyama snapped. So they weren’t talking normally. Kindaichi still hated him; and to show that he would insult Hinata. Kageyama couldn’t believe he had even given Kindaichi the benefit of the doubt. They had never even been friends before so how-

“How is he still running?” Kindaichi went on panting. “I can’t believe he’s still going at full power.”

Hinata was on his last ten laps as he had informed everyone as he passed them by –giggling at Kageyama’s scowl as he patted him lightly on the ass.

“He runs every morning at full sprint for over thirty minutes.” Kageyama couldn’t help but point out. “This is nothing.”

“Jesus.”

“You know,” the coach suddenly shouted. “You can stop running anytime. I said I wanted to see how far your stamina went, and by my eyes, the only one who still has some is that first year six laps ahead of all of you.”

In an instant, the courtroom was filled with loud groans and thumps as players collapsed on the floor. Kageyama found himself lying right next to Kindaichi, staring at the ceiling. Hinata was grumbling about how he couldn’t run anymore with all the obstacles but Kageyama could only hear the pounding of his heart, the words: G _o sit on the bench already._

It wasn’t that he always thought of that game. It wasn’t a constant on his mind or a nightmare that woke him up every night. The memory had been pushed away with Tanaka’s loud laugh and Hinata’s embarrassing roars of _: Give the ball to me!_ It had been shoved down into the dark hollows of Kageyama’s mind by Tsukishima’s cruel taunts, Sugawara’s gentle smile, and Ennoshita’s smug words. Karasuno had been Kageyama’s family in a way that Kitagawa had never been. And that was alright. Because Kageyama hadn’t known what it was like to trust a team until he left junior high.

But he couldn’t help but drag the memory up again when he saw them there; not on the other side of the net, but the same side. He couldn’t imagine sharing a uniform again, calling out to them on the court, and… _tossing_ to them.

Could he gain their trust this time? Could they even play together? Would Kageyama ever escape his past mistakes or would he have to live junior high all over again?

_(Your tosses are completely unreasonable! There’s no point if I can’t hit ball!)_

Kindaichi’s breathing died down and Kageyama waited for him to suddenly realize who he was next to; to get up and walk away, muttering beneath his breath, sharing disgusted glances with Kunimi.

He didn’t.

“I hate our coach.” Kindaichi grumbled. “He did that on purpose. I can’t believe the third years fell for it.”

Kageyama wanted to respond but was in shock over the word Kindaichi had just used. _Our._ And maybe he hadn’t meant it like that _,_ but he had said it, and Kageyama couldn’t help but feel like suddenly everything was different this time.

Maybe he would toss to Kindaichi and this time it would be spiked down and they would look at each other and finally understand, _finally_ get it: they were teammates again.

The coach’s laughter filled the court.

 

None of the first years made first string. It was probably their fault, Kageyama thought; they had chosen to go to a top notch school in Tokyo where players left that school for the Olympics. Their school had gone to Nationals enough times for it to be _the_ place for volleyball players to attend.

The entire first string consisted of third years and fourth years. Kageyama recognized a few: Wakatoshi Ushijima, Bokuto Koutarou (“SHORTIE!!” “BOKUTO-SAN!”), Satori Tendou, and Kuroo Tetsurou.

Kageyama was slightly surprised that Oikawa and Iwaizumi hadn’t come to a university as high up as this one. He had even asked Daichi about it one day when they had all met up for a mini reunion. They had both decided to stay in Miyaji and were actually attending the same university as him and Sugawara.

Kageyama wanted to know why but didn’t think it would be appropriate to go and track down his former senpai to ask. Iwaizumi would probably tell him, but knowing that with Iwaizumi Oikawa was always nearby; it wouldn’t work out too well.

He was doing stretches with Kindaichi and Kunimi one day. It wasn’t something he had sought out to do. In fact, Kageyama had been avoiding the two since that first day and only spoke to them when he couldn’t avoid it. Because there was one other first year setter –Kanji fucking Koganegawa– Kageyama always managed to get away with not tossing to either of them, and luckily, they never noticed. (Or they were glad too that they didn’t have to take Kageyama’s tosses.) Except Hinata and Bokuto had been forced to run ten laps around the school for being idiots and making a mess before practice, and so Kageyama who had been stretching alone found Kindaichi and Kunimi coming up next to him to stretch as well. He waited for the insults to come, the anger, the whispers of _we don’t want to play with you_.

“It’s weird being a first year again.” Kunimi had said instead. Kageyama, thinking he was only talking to Kindaichi, focused on touching his toes with 300% more concentration than needed. “I’m not used to sitting on the bench.”

“That’s because one: even in high school we weren’t on the bench; and two: this university is basically a school for monsters and the third and fourth years out monster us.” Kindaichi pointed out.

“Well, what about junior high?” Kageyama froze midway in twisting his back. “We were on the bench our first year.”

“Yeah, but junior high was more about seniority than skill.”

Kageyama couldn’t help but blurt out, “I was on the bench our third year.”

Kindaichi and Kunimi both flinched slightly.

“S-sorry.” Kageyama said rushed. God. He was such an idiot. He was eighteen and he still couldn’t speak like a normal person. “I didn’t mean it like tha-“

Kunimi suddenly snorted.

“That’s true!” Kindaichi said laughing. “Must suck to have that on your record books.”

 _(I’m not gonna “reconcile” or anything like that! I didn’t really get along with you from the start!_ )

Kageyama smiled slightly. “Yeah. I was constantly reminded about it at Karasuno.”

“Really?” Kunimi raised an eyebrow; Kageyama was thrown back into junior high where he constantly felt like the shit Kunimi stepped on. He had a way of making you feel pathetic with just one glance. Deep down, Kageyama knew that Kunimi just had a deadpan face which resulted in slightly mocking looks, but right now he couldn’t help but feel like he was getting mocked.

“Who?” Kindaichi asked. “Shortie?”

“A little yeah, but his were more motivational. Tsukishima Kei did it a lot and my senpai, Tanaka, you know them, right?”

“Huh.” Kunimi said –almost curiously? “That’s funny.”

“I love it when you laugh Akira.” Kindaichi deadpans. Kageyama holds back a laugh because Hinata told him he looked scary when he laughed. (And Kageyama believed him because not only was Hinata very red but stuttering in fear too.) He does quirk a smile though. Kindaichi smiles back at him and Kunimi only stares, but there is no stink eye so Kageyama takes it as a smile.  

The first year and second years ended up practicing on their own with the assistant coach. It was like high school except this time: being a genius setter didn’t matter. Kageyama was no longer one of the best players on the team. The university contained all former captains and aces and geniuses. And now Kageyama was just a lucky first year who was good enough to be in the reserves (Hinata hadn’t even made reserves), but not enough to step onto the court just yet.

He was –surprisingly– OK with that. Playing with Hinata, practicing their movements, their strikes –it was all the same as it had been in high school. _Fun_.

He didn’t just toss to Hinata though. As time moved on the assistant coach had seen his skill as a setter and made sure he tossed to everyone during every practice. Sometimes he would even get to toss to the third years.

The only con was that in the end Kageyama couldn’t avoid setting to Kindaichi and Kunimi.

The first time he tossed to Kindaichi he remembers stumbling with the ball and tossing as Kindaichi was coming down from his jump. The ball brushed the tips of his fingers and Kindaichi managed to lift the ball so it skimmed over the net, wobbled a bit, and fell straight down. Kageyama, wiping sweat from his upper lip, gasping,

“I-I’m so sorry!”

“BAKEYAMA!” Hinata shouted from the back, but all Kageyama could see was an empty court and the ball rolling to a halt and their angry gazes, their irritated looks, their scowls and mistrust. All he could feel was regret seeping into his heart and turning his veins black a–

“It’s fine.” Kindaichi was looking right at him, right in the eye. He never used to do that before. His arms were raised up in a picture of assurance, his eyes calm, his brow smooth. “Let’s just try it again.”

“O-okay.” Kageyama picked up another ball. The other first years were all quiet. They knew. They knew all about the ‘King of the Court’. The coach looked on bemused but did not interfere.

“I like the ball close to the net, by the way.”

Kageyama took a deep breath. This was it. This was the moment that decided whether or not he and Kindaichi could be teammates again. He had changed. And so had Kindaichi. He could do this. Maybe this could be his apology: the one that hadn’t been accepted before.

Kindaichi jumped; his form so amazing that Kageyama wondered how much _he_ had trained. He had always thought of Kindaichi and Kunimi as players who didn’t care enough, who didn’t try enough. And then there was Oikawa, who somehow, with so much ease, was able to take them both under his wing and make them amazing, wonderful players. Somehow it was _his_ tosses that Kindaichi could hit. Somehow _he_ was able to slap Kunimi on the back and not receive a dirty, unamused look. Kageyama had never been able to do that. (Not that he had tried.)

So he tossed the ball, for Oikawa, for Karasuno, for himself, and for that game; and everything seemed to slow down. His arm came down and the court exploded with a bang of sound: a ball slamming perfectly into the ground. It sounded like the opposite of a ball bouncing down to a low thump because no one had been there to hit it.

Kageyama’s eyes were so wide it was starting to hurt. So this is what it would’ve looked like. A powerful swing, the landing of bent legs and a heavy exhale, the echo of _you did it_ in his ears. This is what should’ve happened all those years ago. What could’ve happened if Kageyama had just stopped and _listened_.

It was like seeing Hinata fly for the first time all over again.

Kindaichi’s sneakers squeaked on the floor as he turned to Kageyama with a grin.

“Nice ball.” Kindaichi said and something lifted in Kageyama’s chest.

 

The first years all bonded in their small band of new college players. Being unable to play matches meant less pressure. They all still had to work hard, still had to train as much as the upperclassmen, still had to stay on their toes because of an ‘ _in case’._ But something had eased on the shoulders of the first years.

And maybe that was why they were all not allowed to play just yet. First, they had to trust each other. First, they had to become friends. Because you don’t play volleyball alone, Kageyama had learned a countless of times, you play it with a team.

“We should go out for drinks!” Hinata said loudly after all the first years had finished cleaning the court. (Fridays and Saturdays were an unspoken agreement among all the upperclassmen and coaches that first years would clean.) “I’ll even pay for Kageyama’s first three!”

“Kageyama drunk?” Kindaichi said smirking. “I’ll come.”

“Sure.” Kunimi shrugged.

“H-hey! I’m not drinking!” Kageyama protested. He added to Hinata, under his breath, “Not after last time.”

“You should’ve been there the first time Kageyama drank!” Hinata said in response to everyone; loudly. Kageyama covered his face.

“Did you guys end up making out?” Lev asked. “You guys are dating right?”

“O-of course we’re still dating!” squawked Hinata. “And no we did not end up making out!”

“Well, I’ll still come.” Lev offered.

“I, of course,” Goshiki said loud and proud. “Will never miss out on a chance to bond with my teammates! Especially since when I gain the ace title I will need all of your support and-“

“WHEN YOU GAIN THE ACE TITLE!” Hinata hollered. He jumped on Goshiki, yelling. “YOU MEAN WHEN I BECOME THE ACE.”

“LIKE HELL YOU’LL BE THE ACE.” Goshiki roared.

“Kids.” Kindaichi sighed. Kageyama jerked at his sudden voice but then nodded quickly. His face was still red and he was going to wait for thirty more seconds before dragging Hinata out of the fight and beating him up himself. (Also because if Goshiki actually hurt Hinata –even by accident –Kageyama was sure he’d end up knocking Goshiki out.) “By the way, about you and Hinata, congrats.”

“Uh,” Kageyama was possibly even redder than before. “Thanks?”

“I mean, like good on you guys being out,” Kindaichi cleared his throat. “It’s hard, you know? Being gay in Japan.”

“Y-yeah.” Kageyama wanted to drink now that was for sure. “I-I mean, well, only a few people know. We’re not really affectionate in public.”

“Well, one could say that beating each other up, is affectionate.” Kunimi burst in causing Kageyama to jump back, tripping over his broom, and landing on his ass, bright red in the face. Kindaichi burst into laughter and Kageyama wondered if he had ever done that before: made Kindaichi laugh. Kunimi’s lips even twitched and if that wasn’t a big grin then Kageyama didn’t know what is.

“Well, if you must know, Akira and I are dating too.” Kindaichi said casually.

“Really?” Kageyama said, shocked.

“Yeah well,” Kindaichi smiled at Kunimi who was definitely not looking at them –were his cheeks _pink_? “We’re not really affectionate in public.”

Of course, they still played matches. Practice matches.

Their first one was against the first string: the day before the University’s first match. Kageyama was starting as setter in the first set. There were, surprisingly, no setters in second year, and so he and Kanji would be splitting up the game.

(“Just because you’re playing first set,” Kanji had growled. “Doesn’t mean you’ve won.”)

Kageyama woke up with bile in his throat and a nervous twitch under his eye.  

“Stop moving.” Hinata mumbled into his side. He was half asleep, mouth wide open and slightly drooling, “I’m havin’ the best dream.”

“Really?” Kageyama said desperate for a distraction; like maybe sex. “What’s it about?”

“You and…” Hinata fell back asleep. Slowly and with a sigh, Kageyama slipped out of Hinata’s monkey hold, and went to brush as his teeth. He stared at his face and tried not to think about how he would actually be tossing to Kindaichi and Kunimi today.

Practice wasn’t like a game; where the pressure mounted, where the spiker would yell his name as he jumped up as high as he could, where each point meant everything. In this match the world would shoot back four years to Kitagawa Daiichi and Kageyama yelling and the ball dropping so suddenly that the sound still stayed with Kageyama today.

He ate his breakfast quickly and left before Hinata could get up.

He was on the court before anyone else.

The door swung open as Kageyama was serving into the opposite corner of the court and in walked Kindaichi and Kunimi. Cue horror music because Kageyama was suddenly in his own nightmare: alone with his former teammates right before a match.

They were on friendly terms, but Kageyama still couldn’t help but feel like it was all a ruse. That at any moment Kindaichi and Kunimi would see something that reminded them of the old Kageyama and refuse to play with him. That during the game, during the practice match today, Kageyama would toss and hear that noise again. And this time Hinata would be with them and so would Goshiki and Lev and all the other first years. His new friends suddenly realizing that Kageyama was still the King of the Court that he hadn’t ever changed that he never could.

He wouldn’t even get to finish the first set and Kanji would take his place with an evil smirk.

_Go sit on the bench already._

“You alright?” Kunimi asked as he stripped his jacket off.

“How long have you been here?” Kindaichi added tilting his head to the side.

“Few minutes.” Kageyama had been there for two hours, but no one needed to know that.

“You look a little pale.” Kunimi pointed out.

“I just want to say,” Kageyama started and wished he could stop. “I hope we have a good game.”

“I hope so too.” Kindaichi laughed, giving him a weird look. “Are you okay?”

“You never did accept my apology.” Kageyama blurted out. Kindaichi froze and so did Kunimi. They looked at him. “Fr-from before! I mean… well-“

“From high school?” Kindaichi said confused.

“I tried to apologize.” Kageyama said slowly. “And you told me not too.”

“You did?” Kunimi raised his eyebrows at Kindaichi who blushed.

“We-well, I was annoyed at losing to him at the time!” Kindaichi turned back to Kageyama who stood there almost helplessly. Why, oh _why_ , did he have to say the worst things? “Kageyama. Look, junior high was… was not a good time for us, let’s put it at that. And when I told you not to apologize I think I was more jealous than angry.”

“Jealous?”

“I-yes.” Kindaichi looked down and rubbed his neck. “Seeing you work so easily with your new team pissed me off since we never had that. You were able to work so well with Hinata after three weeks of knowing him; while with the rest of Kitagawa, it had been so hard to get you to even look at us like our opinions mattered after two years of being on the same team.”

“I-“ Kageyama wrung his hands together.

“That’s why I didn’t want to accept it. I thought it was like some joke, you asking for my hand in friendship and apologizing after _just_ beating us in a game. I thought ‘there’s no way this guy’s changed so fast’. It was idiotic-“

“It was.” Kunimi interjected.

“Shut up!” Kindaichi met Kageyama’s eyes. “What I’m trying to say is I’m sorry, for not accepting your apology at the time.”

“It makes sense, though,” Kageyama muttered, “You not accepting my apology.”

“Well?” Kunimi said after a long moment of silence. “How about you try again?”

Kageyama stared for a second before stuttering out,

“I-I’m sorry!” He bent low to the ground. “I’m sorry for not treating you like teammates and assuming things about you that weren’t true and not listening and-“

“Woah!” Kindaichi put a hand on Kageyama’s shoulder laughing. “Calm down! I accept your apology. I hope from now on we can be friends. And teammates.”

“Same I guess.” Kunimi murmured. Kageyama stood up, bright red, and stared at them. His teammates. (Maybe even his friends.)

“I just want to say though,” Kindaichi said suddenly serious. “That game at Kitagawa; I don’t regret doing it. I still think what we did was the right thing to do. And I hope you don’t expect anything from me about that. I’m sorry for being a dick, but I’m not sorry about that.”

Kageyama swallowed and nodded. He understood. He _had_ deserved that. He was even grateful for it, because if he hadn’t been put out on that bench, if he hadn’t memorized the sound of a ball bouncing emptily on a court of anger and distrust, he might not have gone to Karasuno, might not have met Hinata, and might not have tried as hard as he did.

“BAKEYAMA!” Hinata roared, slamming the doors open. Lev panted behind him, clutching his knees. “YOU NEVER WOKE ME UP!”

Kindaichi laughed loudly and Kageyama let his lips tilt upwards.

 

They ended up losing the game but Kindaichi and Kunimi both scored a collective of ten points off of Kageyama’s tosses. And afterwards Kindaichi and Kunimi had slapped Kageyama’s back and both said,

“Good game!”

 


End file.
